What is a Good Headshot?

What is meant by “a good headshot”, one may wonder?

How often do you hear somebody say, “this is a good headshot” or “I had great headshots done by…”, how do we define the meaning of a good headshot?  An acknowledgement of a “good headshot” will vary substantially by individuals age, gender, career and purpose for having a professional headshot.

Please beware that if your definition of a good headshot is being 50 and looking like a 30 yrs old, read no more.  Wearing sunglasses and ten inches of makeup, I am not your content provider but feel free to search online, there are thousands of articles that look at headshots superficially, but not here.

A great headshot is an engaging portrait with branding power that showcases the attractive qualities of a professional in his or her industry.

  • Engaging portrait is an image that relays a vivid understanding of an individual’s personality.  Some will say, it captures the soul of the person.
  • Branding power clearly defined.  For an example if you are a public speaker your headshot should have the viewer feel enticed by your portrait and sub-consciously agree to stare at you for 3 hours and willing to pay to listen to you.
  • Attractive: let’s face it we want to showcase a portrait that bring out the best features of the individual (makeup, photoshop and great lighting).  Most clients will skip item 1 and 2 and pick the portrait which they think it looks best… Robbing themselves of a wonderful headshot.
  • Professional is defined by one’s individual career path.  If you are an actor your professional portrait may allow a casting director to fully understand the role, a CEO will have a portrait that showcases a leader and astute decision maker.  The CEO of a high tech company will dress different than a CEO of a bank.

You might be interested in these articles


back to Blog

About

Art of Headshots specializes in corporate and professional headshots for websites, social media like LinkedIn, and advertising. We have over 13 years of experience guiding you into authentic and professional portraits.

Recent Posts

Categories

Sign up for our Newsletter

Twice yearly newsletter with tips on how to maximize your headshots and more.